The Secret Fellowship
by dragonshensi
Summary: An unlikely fellowship consisting of a Rohirrim,an elf,a dwarf,an Ent,and an Orc travel through Middle Earth in hopes of defeating the great evil that is Sauron
1. Chapter 1

The Secret Fellowship

Chapter 1:Breaking Free

Yurkmak slid down the mountain, trying his best to be silent. Orcs weren't known for being stealthy, but he got the job done. He was now out of Mordor, the Black Gates positioned a few yards to his right. He had to get far away from this land, before the Eye realized his betrayal.

Yurkmak had thought long and hard over his decision to leave Sauron's army. He needed to find a way to save himself and maybe even his people. He knew that deep down Sauron had no chance of overthrowing all the other races of Middle Earth. Quite frankly, Yurkmak didn't really want to destroy the world of men, elves, and the rest of the races. He would prefer his people and the rest of the world lived in peace. However, if the path the race of the Orcs were on continued, his species would be wiped from the face of the earth. The rest of Middle-Earth say Orcs as monsters, nothing more than to be slain.

Yurkmak couldn't really blame all the other races for it. As far as he could tell Orcs were always on the side of evil. If he didn't change something, the race of Orcs would become extinct. The dark lord Sauron would be the downfall of his people. That's when he had decided to desert the army and make his way out of Mordor.

He wasn't sure if the other races would accept him, but in order to save his people, he would have to join the enemy. Besides, Sauron needed to be stopped. There should be no reason for him and his race to live peacefully with all of the world.

He was shaken out of his thoughts as he heard a blood-curdling screech. He looked up into the sky and saw a huge flying monster coming his way. It was a Nazgul, riding upon one of the foul winged creatures. The Nazgul were a terrifying bunch that even made Orcs cower in fear. Yurkmak was no exception.

Yurkmak dove behind a huge rock as the Nazgul passed overheard. It seemed like the rider did not see him. Guess the Ringwraith was patroling the borders of his master's realm. With a sigh of relief Yurkmak got up from behind the boulder and resumed his escape from the dark land.

Yurkmak planned on making his way to Fangorn Forest, where he could lay low until he had a plan. He had heard the whispers throughout the Orc camps about the place. About the darkness and lurking evil there, where when someone goes in they don't come back out. However, Yurkmak guessed that he wouldn't be followed there by Sauron's forces. A perfect place to gather his thoughts and plan his next move.

He couldn't help but glance back towards Mordor. He saw Mount Doom, spurting ash and lava high into the air. He thought he could see the pillar, where the great Eye was. He could also see several flying figures in the sky of the land, although they were hard to spot with all the smoke and black clouds that shrouded the dark land.

"Im through with that life now."Yurkmak said to himself, and resumed running away from the dreaded place. He wouldn't stop until he reached Fangorn.


	2. Chapter 2:The Dwarf

Chapter 2: The Dwarf

Yurkmak trudged through the snow. His going was slow and the snow was deep, it was practically up to his knees. The air was cold and it froze the orc to the bone. What little armor he wore provided no protection against the cold winds of the White Mountains.

The orc had decided to take the mountain trails, thinking it would be safer and easier than going through the lands of Rohan. The Rohirrim were a feirce warrior race, and they were even deadlier on horseback. Yurkmak had no plan to go through their lands and run into one of them. He had no deathwish. So he thought going through the White Mountains would be safer, since the harsh climate made it impossible for many things to live there. Suddenly, Yurkmak heard the sound of shouting and the clashing of weapons. Guess some things dwelled in the mountains.

He rushed to the source of the noise, which was further down the trail. The trail ended at a small cliff, and below that Yurkmak could see six figures surrounding one small figure. It was hard to tell what was going on, due to the snow falling, but as his eyes adjusted he could tell that there were five goblins and a warg attacking a dwarf. Yurkmak couldn't help but snarl at the sight of the goblins. For some reason, goblins and orcs never did get along, despite the fact that they were almost of the same race.

However much he hated the goblins, Yurkmak wasn't too keen on getting in on the battle. Dwarves were a angry and strong race, and by the looks of that dwarf he could take him down no problem. The dwarf weilded a huge hammer, with one side of it being a huge metal spike. If the orc decided to help the dwarf, the little man would more than likely turn on him.

"No. I must help him."Yurkmak said to himself,"If I am to gain the trust of other races I have to earn it. I cant just expect them to had trust to me."

With that said, Yurkmak pulled out his crude blade. He howled into the snow as he leaped down from the cliff and onto the nearest goblin. The goblin crumbled underneath the orc and sank into the snow. Yurkmak quickly stabbed the creature through the eye, instantly killing it. The rest of the group, including the dwarf, stood still. They were caught off-guard by the surprise attack, and the fact that an orc was coming to the aide of a dwarf only furthered their shock. Yurkmak had already impaled the nearest goblin through the stomache before the rest overcame their surprise and resumed the fight. The dwarf simply shrugged and started to once again defend himself. Yurkmak guessed he would deal with this interesting turn of events once the goblins and the warg were destroyed.

The dwarf crushed one of the remaining goblin's skulls in while Yurkmak deflected a parry from another. Thats when the orc noticed that the warg was charging at the small man, who had his back turned to the wolf monster and did not see him coming. Quickly cutting off the goblin's left arm then his head, Yurkmak leaped at the warg nearby.

He collided into the giant wolf's side, causing the thing to yelp in pain and stumble. Yurkmak tried to stab the beast but he was swatted away before he could. He was knocked back a few feet, hitting his back against a jagged rock. He hissed in pain and slowly got back up on his feet. Now the warg had turned his attention to the orc. The monster snarled at him, revealing his sharp and deadly fangs. Yurkmak quickly picked up his sword and was ready to face the warg head on. The creature howled in rage and Yurkmak roared right back as the two charged each other. As they collided Yurkmak sank his blade deep into the warg's throat. Despite the fact that the warg was slowly dying, the creature kept running, almost in a daze. The orc clung onto the animal and repeatedly stabbed the thing. Yurkmak managed to turn his head forward and noticed that the two were heading for a drop. Before he could react both orc and warg plummetted downward.

Their bodies flipped and turned down the mountain, hitting rocks and piles of collected snow. Yurkmak's body hurt all over but he couldn't stop himself from rolling. Finally, the rolling stopped and he laid in a crumbled heap. He couldn't he was in so much pain. His entire body ached. Snow was starting to slowly encase his body and he could feel himself drifting out of conciousness. After trying his best to fight it, his eyes started to close. The last thing he saw was the dwarf above him, holding his deadly hammer high in the air, ready to bring it down on the orc.


	3. Chapter 3:Uneasy Alliance

Chapter 3: Uneasy Alliance

Yurkmak awoke with a start. He noticed instantly that his hands and feet were bound. He was propped up with his back resting on the side of the wall. He looked around and noticed that he was in a cave, with the entrance not too far from him. He gazed outside and saw that the blizzard had gotten even worse.

"So you're awake."A voice said, which caused Yurkmak to turn his head sharply to the source of the voice.

Deeper into the cave was a small fire burning. On the other side of the fire sat the dwarf. He stared at Yurkmak with a mix of curiosity and mistrust. He was smoking on a large pipe with one hand and laid across his lap was his huge axe. The dwarf exhaled a large ring of smoke and stared at the orc.

"Let's go ahead and get this out of the way orc."The dwarf said, chewing on his pipe, "The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because I am curious. Why on earth did a Mordor orc, a foot soldier for Sauron no less, save me?"

"Maybe because I'm not like the other orcs."Yurkmak replied a matter-of-factly.

"Hmmm perhaps."The dwarf stated, deep in thought, "And why exactly are you not like the other orcs?"

"Untie me first please. This is rather uncomfortable."Yurkmak answered, struggling a bit with the ropes.

The dward then frowns, getting up slowly, "I don't think that's such a good idea orc."

"The name is Yurkmak dwarf. We have names."Yurkmak said, a little venom in his voice, "Look, if I wanted you dead I wouldn't have helped you against those goblins earlier."

"That may be true...Yurkmak."the dwarf said, hesitating a bit before speaking his name, "but you must understand that I can't simply just trust one of your kind just like that."

"If you don't give me a chance then how am I to earn your trust dwarf?"Yurkmak retorted, which caused the dwarf to huff a bit. Finally he sighed and walked around to stand in front of Yurkmak. He pulled out a dagger from his belt and moved around to the orc's side.

"Remember, make one wrong move and I won't hesitate to chop off your head and toss your body down the mountain."the dwarf warned, before beginning to cut through the ropes.

"Noted."Yurkmak said as the dwarf cut the last of his ropes. The orc rubbed his wrists where the ropes chaffed him.

The dwarf eyed Yurkmak warily, before caustiously going back to where he previously sat. He still held his axe tightly in his hand, but resumed smoking his pipe. Yurkmak slowly crawled a bit closer to the fire, warming his hands and body.

"My name is Kuval by the way."the dwarf stated.

"Nice to meet you Kuval...I suppose."Yurkmak replied, not really use to exchanging pleasant greetings with another. It seemed an orc being nice also took Kuval off guard a bit as well.

"Well Yurkmak. I would like you to explain why exactly you helped me."Kuval asked, and for about a while Yurkmak told of his story and his minutes later, Yurkmak finally finished telling his story. Kuval had a look of amazement and confusion.

"That is quite a tale."Kuval said, eyes wide."So you went rogue and now you want to help take down Sauron?"

"Indeed. If this continues my people will be wiped out. I do not believe Sauron can win, nor do I wish for his victory. I think that with some hard work, and all orcs out of slavery from the Dark Lord, we can find a way for orcs to live in peace with all other races of Middle-Earth."Yurkmak said, a little pride in his voice.

"That is quite a far-fetched dream I'm afraid to say."Kuval stated, taking his pipe out of his mouth, "The other races can't stand one another already, but I can tell you one thing Yurkmak. They all hate orcs the most."

This caused Yurkmak to sigh a bit, "I know, but I have to try at least."

"Well then I do wish all the luck to you Yurkmak. You're gonna need it."Kuval said, pulling out a bit of meat and a pot from a sack near him. He gently placed the pot over the fire and tosses the meat in it. The meat instantly began to sizzle, which caused Yurkmak's stomach to grumble.

"Can I have some of that if you don't mind?"Yurkmak asked politely, which caused Kuval to chuckle.

"Can't believe I'm having a civil conversation with an orc."Kulav laughed, and as the meat finally roasted to perfected, handed Yurkmak a chunk, "So Yurkmak, where are you going to go now?"

"I'm not sure. Pretty much wherever I go I'll be an enemy. Either from Sauron's forces now or any other person in Middle-Earth."Yurkmak answered, sighing.

Kuval studied the orc for a bit, struggling with an inner conflict, he stroked his long beard and chewed thoughtfully on his pipe. Finally, Kuval spoke, "Look Yurkmak you're more than welcome to join me. Actually where I'm going I could probably use all the help I can get anyway."

At that, Yurkmak's face lit up, "Really?! You'll let me join you?! Why!?"

"As strange as this whole situation is, I actually believe you are speaking the truth. I kinda want to see how your story plays out."Kuval answered.

"It would be an honor Kuval to join you."Yurkmak said, bowing his head slightly.

Kuval laughed warm-heartedly, "Let's get something straight though. Even if you are telling the truth and everything, I still don't fully trust you."

"I look forward to earning your trust then Kuval."Yurkmak said, smiling while extending his hand. Kuval hesitated for a second, then smiled and clasped the orc's hand.

"Where are we heading exactly by the way?"Yurkmak asked, shaking the dwarf's hand.

"To Moria." Kuval answered, which caused Yurkmak's smile to fade fast.


	4. Chapter 4: The Mines

Chapter 4: The Mines

"Are you sure you want to do this Kuval?" Yurkmak asked as they trudged along the mountain path, the snowstorm no longer quite so fierce.

"Aye I do."Kuval replied, angrily pushing through the snow that was up to his chest, not because it was a lot of snow, just because he was short.

"Even the orcs of Mordor know that Moria is infested with goblins. It's a death sentence to go into."Yurkmak stated, "Not to mention the way into Moria is lost. No one knows how to enter the place."

"There are ways to get into Moria. Secret passages and corridors."Kuval answered, "And I will risk the goblins to get my ancestor's long lost axe. It's a symbol of my family...and the symbol of our family's failure."

Yurkmak was about to question what he meant by that when they came to the entrance of a cave. The dwarf peered inside, seeing nothing but darkness and only hearing the wind throughout the tunnel. Kuval picked up a stone at the cave's entrance, and tossed it inside. The stone made a loud clanks as it bounced along the cave's floor, however, nothing else could be heard. The cave seemed to be empty.

"Is this the entrance to Moria?"Yurkmak asked, expecting something a little more grand from the lost city of the dwarves.

"Yes and no."Kuval answered, feeling along the cave wall, "The dwarves who crafted Moria placed many hidden exits, in case their home was ever under siege. I've recently came across a manuscript that detailed one such exit exists in this here cave."

Kuval's wandering hands finally found something off along the cave walls. It was a small hole in the cave wall. Other than it seeming to be a little odd, it didn't even look out of the ordinary. Kuval studied the hole intensely, before pulling out his axe and staring at the end of the handle, then looking back up at the cave.

Yurkmak watched as Kuval placed the end of the axe handle into the hole, which fit inside it perfectly. He heard what sounded like mechanisms behind the cave wall coming to life. Kuval twisted his axe in place, twirling the axe around and around. Beside them, part of the wall shook as the rock began to rise slowly, revealing a passageway. With a few more turns of Kuval's axe, the rock rose completely and stayed in place, and he removed his axe from the hole.

"That's...impressive."Yurkmak said, staring into the darkness of the newly revealed passageway.

"Never underestimate the cleverness of a dwarf."Kuval said proudly, twirling his axe in his hand dramatically, "All tips on dwarven axe handles are crafted the same, for this very reason here. Although this type of system hasn't been used in hundreds of years, we dwarves still craft our axes this way. Probably more out of habit I suppose."

They descended into the passageway, which were stairs that lead deeper and deeper into the darkness. The further they walked down the stairs, the darker it got, the light from the cave behind them growing more and more dim. Pretty soon they wouldn't be able to go much further without stumbling around like blind beggars. As if reading Yurkmak's mind, Kuval pulled out a crystal from his pocket, which glowed just enough to light the area around them.

"What is that exactly?"Yurkmak asked, staring at the bright crystal.

"It's a type of crystal found deep in the ground. We dwarves use to mine them for the sake of lighting our many homes and tunnels. Only problem is they have to be set out in the sun every now and then to absorb it's rays. If not, the crystal will no longer produce light."Kuval answered as he once more descended the staircase, with Yurkmak close behind, "This crystal should give us a few hours of light."

"I hope it's enough."Yurkmak said, worried.

"The depths of Moria are long and dark. So probably not!"Kuval stated, but unnervingly had a smile on his face as he said it.

_This dwarf is insane! I'm not going to die in the graves of the mountain!_Yurkmak thought to himself, silently turning around. However, he watched in horror as the entrance far above slowly closed, the exit was closed and he was stuck in the darkness.

"You coming Yurkmak? I'm not waiting for slow orc such as yourself." Kuval called up to him, as he descended the stairs. Yurkmak sighed in defeat, quickly catching back up to the dwarf. They walked in silence for at least ten minutes, the stairs never seeming to come to an end.

After another few minutes of walking down the steps, it finally came to an end. The staircase opened up to a wide chamber. Gigantic pillars rose from the floor all the way to the ceiling. The area was so spacious Yurkmak guessed it could fit eight trolls sitting on each other's shoulders. However, the floor of the chamber was less grand than the pillars. Huge cracks littered the floor, with no telling what hide in those cracks. Dusty and mummified corpses of fallen dwarves and goblins were scattered everywhere, along with broken arrows, swords, and axes. It was the remnants of a battle long ago, and long forgotten.

"What a soul-shattering site."Kuval said, more to himself than Yurkmak, "My fallen brethren, slain like nothing more than cattle."

"I am sorry Kuval."Yurkmak consoled, stepping up beside his comrade and clasping his shoulder, "but we best no linger here. I'm sure the victors of the battle still reside here. We need to do what we came here to do, and leave as quick as we can."

Kuval sniffed loudly, and nodded. The dwarf wiped his eyes on his sleeve and trudged on. The crystal gave off an eerie light around their surroundings, casting gloomy shadows and making the corpses around them seem like sleeping ghosts. Yurkmak never feared the dead before, after all they were no longer a part of their world, however now, he wasn't so sure. Yurkmak knew one thing though, he did not wish to join them in their sleep.

The duo tried to keep quiet as they walked through the vast chamber, wishing to not disturb whatever has now claimed Moria and theirs. However, their steps still echoed throughout the chamber, much to their dismay. It seemed though that none were near to hear, since they had not yet been swarmed by goblins, or worse.

"Do you even know where your family's axe is? I would prefer to not have to search the whole inside of the mountain."Yurkmak whispered to Kuval.

"Scared of the dark orc?"Kuval teased, smirking at him, "Well according to my family's records, our ancestors resided on one of the upper levels of Moria. So I'm guessing the axe was left in their residence."

"That's a very broad estimation. Just somewhere on the upper levels!"Yurkmak hissed in anger.

"Quit your whining Yurkmak."Kuval hissed back, "We are already on one of the upper levels of Moria. We should be able to find the axe in no time. As long as we don't wake the mountain, we shouldn't run into any trouble."

In the distance they could see a bright light, off to the side of them. It was hard to tell what it was, but it looked like a group of figures were being lead by whoever owned that light. Could it be goblins? Or treasure-hunters? Surely Moria was not so easy to get into these days.

"Who or what is that?"Yurkmak asked, gazing out the group, who had not yet spotted.

"They may be specters. Souls in agony that still wander these defiled halls."Kuval answered, before turning away and walking in the opposite direction, "Best keep our distance. My axe doesn't affect the dead, and I doubt your blade does either."

Yurkmak continued to stare at the group as they and their light receded into the darkness, away from them. Finally, he turned away from the supposed "ghosts" and followed after Kuval, "If you say so. I just hope we don't encounter them again in these mines."


End file.
